$ - inexpensive
American, Pizza
University of Chicago Student Hangout
This place is known as a student hangout and has a great selection of drinks. “The Med” has a delicious lentil soup that is vegan, plus several other vegan options and a ton of vegetarian options.
Added by Eric Purdy on Oct 16 04 (updated Oct 16 04)
Reviews
As much as an institution the Med is, I've never been thoroughly pleased when I've eaten here. I agree that the really only decent tasting item on the menu is the hummus. The service has always been slow, rude, and plain terrible. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
I would not recommend this restaurant. As a U of C student, I get stuck going here a lot, and the only vegan thing that tastes decent is the hummus. The spaghetti is bland, the lentil soup is way too spicy, and they can be really nasty about making substitutions or modifications. One time they actually refused to leave the mayonnaise off my sandwich, so I couldn't eat anything. The quality of the waitstaff is completely unpredictable: some waiters can tell you every detail about what's vegan, while others will stare at you blankly. I've even been told on multiple occasions that there is nothing vegan on the menu, which is untrue--apparently many of the waiters are just too lazy to find out. They've raised prices, too, making it an even worse dining experience.
I've been told that the veggie burger at the Med is vegan, which is one of the best veggie burgers that I've had. Their strawberry lemonade is also fabulous. I agree that there's nothing too exciting about the Medici except for the fact that it's somewhat of an institution at the University of Chicago. There are better places to eat in Hyde Park, but the Medici isn't half bad.